Efungumab

{{Short description|Chemical compound}}

{{Drugbox

| Verifiedfields = changed

| Watchedfields = changed

| verifiedrevid = 447746895

| image =

| type = mab

| mab_type = scFv

| source = u

| target = fungal Hsp90

| tradename = Mycograb

| pregnancy_AU =

| pregnancy_US =

| pregnancy_category =

| legal_AU =

| legal_CA =

| legal_UK =

| legal_US =

| legal_status =

| routes_of_administration = Intravenous

| bioavailability = Not applicable (IV only)

| protein_bound = High

| metabolism =

| elimination_half-life = 1–2 hours

| excretion =

| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|changed|chemspider}}

| ChemSpiderID = none

| CAS_number_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}

| CAS_number = 762260-74-2

| ATC_prefix = none

| ATC_suffix =

| PubChem =

| DrugBank_Ref = {{drugbankcite|correct|drugbank}}

| DrugBank =

| UNII_Ref = {{fdacite|correct|FDA}}

| UNII = BM86P708HW

| KEGG = D09711

| chemical_formula =

| molecular_weight = Approximately 27.2 kg/mol

}}

Efungumab (trade name Mycograb) was a drug developed by NeuTec Pharma (a subsidiary of Novartis), intended to treat candidemia (a bloodstream infection caused by pathogenic yeast) in combination with amphotericin B. The European Medicines Agency has twice refused to grant marketing authorization for Mycograb, citing product safety and quality issues.European Medicines Agency (2007). {{cite web|url= https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/assessment-report/mycograb-epar-refusal-public-assessment-report_en.pdf |title=REFUSAL CHMP ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR MYCOGRAB. Procedure No. EMEA/H/C/658 }} {{small|(370 KiB)}}. London: European Medicines Agency. Retrieved on 2007-11-20. Detailed assessment report with comprehensive overview of reasons for refusal of marketing authorization.

Chemically, efungumab is a single-chain variable fragment of a human monoclonal antibody.{{cite journal | author = World Health Organization | author-link = World Health Organization | title = International Nonproprietary Names for Pharmaceutical Substances (INN). Proposed INN: List 95 | journal = WHO Drug Information | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | year = 2006 | pages = 48 | url = http://whqlibdoc.who.int/druginfo/20_2_2006_INN95.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070919185513/http://whqlibdoc.who.int/druginfo/20_2_2006_INN95.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 19, 2007 }}

As such, it "grabs" onto fungal hsp90, hence its proposed trade name.

Its ability to potentiate the effects of the antifungal amphotericin B in culture were later found to be non-specific.{{cite journal | pmc = 3393390 | pmid=22508314 | doi=10.1128/AAC.00435-12 | volume=56 | issue=7 | title=Nonspecific effect of Mycograb on amphotericin B MIC | year=2012 | journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | pages=3963–4 |vauthors=Richie DL, Ghannoum MA, Isham N, Thompson KV, Ryder NS }}